Southwest Educational Development Center, or SEDC, provides services requested by our member schools in order to better serve the students in southwest Utah. Our specific services are described throughout this Web site.
Our Mission
The Mission of the Southwest Educational Development Center is to meet the needs of students and teachers, promote achievement, and provide for economy and efficiency in the cooperative delivery of educational services that are identified and requested by member schools.
The SEDC region is larger in area than West Virginia. With over 100 schools, nearly 3,000 educators and 50,000 students in the region, we work to provide economies of scale to benefit all of our rural partners. We have strong partnerships statewide as well.
Explore the areas on the right to learn more about what SEDC is and what we provide for our members.
Southwest Educational Center Partnerships Since its inception in 1969 the Southwest Educational Development Center's primary goal has been to establish,...
Our goal at SEDC is to help educators identify their needs and to assist in providing the avenues to meet those needs. Our team continually seeks out new knowledge, implementing best practices to deliver exceptional services and learning opportunities. The...
Savannah Paul from Washington School District has won the 6th Annual SEDC Regional Spelling Bee for students in grades 3-8. The competition was held on April 16, 2024 at the Iron County School District offices and featured 18 students from Beaver, Kane, Iron, Millard and Washington school districts, as well as students from Valley Academy Charter School in Hurricane, Utah. Kane and Valley Academy are a welcome new addition to this year’s competition.
Savannah Paul, from Pine View Middle School in Washington, correctly spelled the word “mimicking” in the 17th Round to win the championship. The first runner-up was Audrey Ayala, a Panorama Elementary student in Washington School District. She correctly spelled “dramatize” in the spell-off. The second runner-up was Hayes Holyoak from Delta Middle School. HIs last correct word was “toggle.”
“We are so proud of Savannah for winning the 6th Annual SEDC Regional Spelling Bee,” said Clint Stephens, the Regional Bee Coordinator at SEDC. “This is a great accomplishment, and we know that Savannah will continue to do great things in the future.”
The SEDC Regional Spelling Bee is an annual competition that is open to students in grades 3-8 from our member school districts and charter schools in southwest Utah. The competition is designed to promote literacy and academic achievement among students, and to provide a venue for students to showcase their talents in an arena outside of athletics. This year saw the most students compete from the most districts and charter schools in the history of our bee.
“We are grateful to all of the students who participated in the SEDC Regional Spelling Bee,” said Clint Stephens. “We also want to thank the teachers, parents, and administrators who helped to make this event possible.”
6th Annual Southwest Educational Development Center Regional Spelling Bee Finalists, L to R: Hayes Holyoak from Delta Middle School, Millard School District; Savannah Paul from Pine View Middle School, Washington SD and Audrey Ayala from Panorama Elementary in Washington SD. 2024 SEDC Regional Spelling Bee participants. Back row, L to R: Travis Max Seegmiller, Iron; Grant Pearson, Iron; Harrison Francom, Iron; Hayes Holyoak, Millard; Savannah Paul, Washington; Audrey Ayala, Washington; Kaydee Ure, Beaver; Melody Williams, Beaver.
Front row, L to R: Samantha Hart, Kane; Blake Hansen, Kane; Liv Glazier, Kane; Landry Holyoak, Millard; Jens Allen, Millard; Ellie Blackner, Beaver; Lily Burnett, Valley Academy; Brandt Hawkins, Valley Academy. Not pictured: Evan Chiu, Valley Academy and Kennedy Bolke, Washington.Pronouncers podium, judges, video streaming gear and rows of proud parents and family members await the start of the 6th Annual SEDC Regional Spelling Bee, in the Boardrooms of Iron County School District in Cedar City, Utah.
The top 3 spellers from Beaver, Iron, Kane Millard & Washington Counties, as well as Valley Academy Charter School in southwest Utah compete for the top spellers in the SEDC region honors.
On April 16 at 11 am, the 6th Annual SEDC Regional Spelling Bee will begin with our largest group of competitors ever! And, you can watch it all unfold LIVE right here, or even after the bee has ended, via YouTube. Not able to view the video below once we go live? Try to view it from our YouTube Channel.
We are thrilled to welcome Kane County and Valley Academy Charter School to the Regional Spelling Bee. Our competitors this year will be:
Beaver: Melody Williams and Kaydee Ure from Belknap Elementary, and Ellie Blackner from Minersville School.
Iron: Grant Pearson from South Elementary, Harrison Francom from Iron Springs Elementary, and Travis Max Seegmiller from Escalante Valley.
Kane: Black Hansen, Samantha Hart and Liv Glazier, all from Kanab Elementary.
Millard: Hayes Holyoak from Delta Middle School, Landry Holyoak from Delta North Elementary, and Jens Allen from Fillmore Elementary School.
Valley Academy: Lily Burnett, Evan Chiu & Brandt Hawkins
Washington: Savannah Paul from Pine View Middle School, Kennedy Bolke from Sunrise Ridge Intermediate, and Audrey Ayala from Panorama Elementary.
Best of luck to all of our competitors, and congratulations to each and every one of you for proving that you are the best speller in your district or charter!!
We are coming up on a full year into the new Competency-Based endorsement requirements from USBE, and we have had many teachers work through the entire new course series in less than a year. Don’t worry! Whether you are just starting, have only taken a class or two, or are just about to complete the endorsement, we will be flexible and will have a pathway for you to finish the endorsement as quickly and painlessly as possible. There’s never a better time to get started on your EdTech Endorsement!
Are you just looking to level up your EdTech instructional skills this summer? Here’s our lineup of 6-week courses coming up from SEDC for Summer 2024. Just follow the links below to learn more about each course and to register through UEN:
Data Analysis and Problem Solving for Summer ’24 Elementary Math Endorsement
What: EDUC 5540 – Data Analysis and Problem Solving. This is the 5th of 6 of the required endorsement courses. Anyone is welcome to register regardless if they have taken previous courses or not.
When: This course will begin on Monday June 10th. Mandatory Zoom meetings will occur each Monday through Thursday from 8:00 am until 1:00 pm for two weeks. The final day of the course is Thursday, June 20th. If you can not attend each day via Zoom, please do not register for the course.
Who: Licensed educators who currently are or aspire to earn their Elementary Math Instruction Endorsement
How: Admission/Re-Admission & registration details can be found here. There is a $210 SEDC course fee that will be paid for by the USBE STEM Endorsement Incentive Grant for all teachers with a current assignment in Utah’s public schools. Any others need to pay the course fee to SEDC upon registration (please send a check to SEDC 520 W. 800 S. Cedar City, UT 84720).
Questions: Please direct any questions regarding this course or any other of SEDC’s Endorsements to Joe B. Wright- Executive Director of SEDC, joeb@sedck12.org, 435.586.2865
Learning Environments for Gifted Students, June 17 – June 28, 2024, Emily Sharp instructing
Curriculum & Instructional Planning in Gifted Education, July 8 – July 19, 2024, Michelle Green instructing
When: Summer 2024
Who: Licensed educators who currently are or aspire to earn their Gifted & Talented Education Endorsement
How: Admission/Re-Admission instructions. Course CRN’s will be posted soon. Please be aware that SEDC has partnered with Washington County School District to make their classes available to all teachers throughout the state via Google Meet. There is a $210.00 course fee for all non-WCSD teachers payable to SEDC.
Questions: Please direct any questions regarding this course or SEDC’s Instructional Coaching Endorsement to Joe B. Wright- Executive Director of SEDC, joeb@sedck12.org, 435.586.2865
What: EDUC 5300 – Instructional Design and Assessment. This is the 3rd of 3 of the required courses for the Instructional Coaching endorsement. Anyone is welcome to register regardless if they have taken previous courses or not.
When: This course will begin on May 14th, with an introductory Zoom meeting at 4:00 PM. After this introductory meeting, students will work asynchronously on the content and assignments for the course throughout the summer using Canvas. The instructor, Katie Jones, will have regular office hours so that students may check-in, ask questions, and receive guidance and instruction during June, July, and August, however, no mandatory attendance is required during the summer. All of the Canvas assignments will be due in August.
Who: Licensed educators who currently are or aspire to earn their Instructional Coaching Endorsement
Questions: Please direct any questions regarding this course or any other of SEDC’s Endorsements to Joe B. Wright- Executive Director of SEDC, joeb@sedck12.org, 435.586.2865
Great Things Happening in the SEDC Region for Fall 2023
Here’s a roundup of several stories in the news that showcase just a few of the great things that are going on in schools in southwestern Utah.
2 Utah schools named among best in the country
Of the 350 or so schools in the country recognized as Blue Ribbon Schools, two Utah schools made that list, and one is right here in Beaver County. Blue Ribbon Schools are the highest performing schools in the United States, identified by the US Department of Education.
Milford Elementary was once one of the lowest-performing schools in the state, but is now a 2023 Blue Ribbon School thanks to teachers like Sarah George and Jamie Ambrose.
Learn more from this Fox 13 news article and view the video highlighting the two Utah schools below. Milford Elementary is featured beginning at 1:05 into the video.
Escalante High School’s Derlynne Brooks Named Secretary of the Year for Utah
Secretary of the Year Derlynne Brooks, students, dear friends and family watch a slideshow highlighting Brooks’ nearly 40 years of service to the school during the awards ceremony honoring her on October 25, 2023. Nancy Goude
Derlynne Brooks was awarded Secretary of the Year by the Utah Association of Secondary School Principals, during a ceremony held at Escalante High School, by UASSP Executive Director Rhonda Bromley.
Following a behind-the-scenes conspiracy between family members, friends, colleagues, Escalante High School Principal Peter Baksis and Bromley, a surprise celebration of Brooks’ achievement took place October 25, 2023, at the school as part of the Feather Ceremony, which is held to celebrate students.
The School Technology Inventory was first envisioned in 2015 when the Utah Legislature passed Senate Bill 222. This bill established a program that required an inventory of classroom technology and related resources being used in Utah’s public and charter schools.
In 2017, the Utah Legislature passed a second bill, House Bill 277, which established the state’s Digital Teaching and Learning Grant Program. The program made grants available to schools and districts to improve student learning outcomes and provide educators professional learning opportunities in digital teaching and learning. To assess the effect of these investments, UETN decided to continue the inventory every other year.
UEN and Connected Nation conducted the inventory from October to November, and the final report was released early 2024.
Learn more about the incredible things that Tammy Houston, a Learning Specialist at the middle school in Panguitch in Garfield County, is doing for her students, school and community. View it ad free on MyVRSpot or below. You can also view it on YouTube. Be sure to like the video and subscribe to the SEDC YouTube channel while you are there.
Educators are increasingly expected to exhibit skills and knowledge of using technology to enhance student learning. On July 1, 2023, the traditional path for the Educational Technology Endorsement Program (ETEP) was replaced with a Competency-Based approach. You are now able to demonstrate your skills to earn the endorsement without any coursework!
However, if you are not quite at that level, you still have an anywhere, anytime course-based pathway to the endorsement. The SEDC & UEN ETEP is grounded in the these new USBE EdTech Competencies, as well as the Utah Effective Teaching Standards and will help you learn the fundamentals of technology integration, effective pedagogy, digital citizenship, media literacy and to expand your leadership horizons. The courses are all self-paced, and you can enroll and begin your journey anytime.
This endorsement program is designed by UEN and approved by the Utah State Board of Education. Participants who began the traditional endorsement before July 2023 can continue with that route or change to the new competency-based endorsement. All traditional requirements much be completed before June 30, 2025.
Already know you are interested in joining the new ETEP program with SEDC? Sign up here. If you are not sure, read on!
